Daddy
by Robotic Fox
Summary: Losing a family member is never easy is it? Especially when that family member has been brutally slaughtered. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, nor will I ever. They belong to Erin Hunter and not me. **

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"We shall begin the burial ceremony for Redtail right now," Bluestar announced solemnly to the crowd of cats surrounding the body. Her beautiful cerulean blue eyes downcast as she stared at the body of her lifeless, loyal deputy and friend who had served with her for quite a good amount of time, her sadness evident .

Her Clan, in return to her words, bowed their heads respectfully, a few of them stepping up to say their final words to Redtail. Dark clouds blocked out the sky as if to match the melancholy mood of the Clan, droplets of cold rain starting to fall down from the sky.

Sandpaw, who was purposely staying behind from the rest of the group, bravely poked her head out, cautiously craning her head through the gaps of cats to see if it really was true. If it was true her father really was dead.

She paused as a sudden wave of self-disgust flooded through her, making her clench her teeth rather tightly and force back a growl. Why was she pondering something so ridiculous and childish? Of course he was dead, why would any of them be gathered around him like this if he WASN'T dead?

She was smarter than this for crying out loud! She was one of the most prized apprentices in ThunderClan simply because of her wit. She should not be pondering over such childish things like that! But…no matter how much she knew the fact that his death was indeed true, the small fruitless hope still remained for some reason. She quickly decided it was nothing more than denial and moved on from there. She had been purposely avoiding looking at the body, maybe just simply to live in the blissful ignorance and denial that he was still alive. Still with her.

Finally, she braved the final look and stretched just enough to gaze through the crowd of cats to take a look and instantaneously reeled back from shock and horror, her stomach practically leaping into her chest before dropping like a heavy rock. The sight of what remained of her father's body was rather horrific.

Her father's tortoiseshell pelt was practically covered in scratches and gashes, some of them still dripping with blood, the droplets of blood intermingling with the rain slipping through his fur. The battle with RiverClan must've been more intense than she originally thought, given the state of his body. Well, it must have been given that both Oakheart and Redtail had died in the course of the battle and it left Ravenpaw in such a jittery mess. She noticed the thick and deep neck wound that was slashed across her father's neck and she knew that had been the kill wound that ended his life forever.

She studied him some more and saw that her father's face was contorted in a mixture of pain and horror from whoever inflicted him such pain, but his eyes were the worst thing about the whole thing for Sandpaw.

For as long as she knew, her father's lime green eyes that she had inherited from him had always been full of life and energy. When he used to play with her when she'd been nothing more than a tiny scrap of fur for a kit, or when he simply gave her pointers when she had been sparring with Dustpaw, Ravenpaw or Greypaw, he'd always been full of spirit and full of life and Sandpaw could always see the gleam of life in his eyes. It had been a part of him.

But now, as she gazed wide-eyes and horrified at the look on her father's face, she saw none of that life that he had once had when he had been alive. She only saw distant, cold, clouded, emotionless green eyes staring sightlessly up at the sky. The truth and realization of his death came crashing down on her until she simply couldn't take it anymore.

Violently pushing through the masses of cats that circled in front of her, she instantly darted over towards her father's body, letting grief overtake her body as she nosed her father's tortoiseshell fur, misery sticking its ugly nose right into her emotions.

None of the other cat's dared to stop her, they only threw her sympathetic glances and melancholy stares. None of them could tell if it was directed to the fallen fighter or the sorrowful, remains of life he'd left behind.

The only one brave enough to step out was her loyal friend, Dustpaw, who slunk out quietly towards his sad friend, resting his tail quietly across Sandpaw's back comfortingly, quickly murmuring a soft, "I'm sorry."

Sandpaw looked up from her father's body and bitterly spat out, "Yeah, well sorry doesn't bring life back into the dead now does it?"

She had instantly regretted saying the words the moment they left her mouth and she watched him shrink back a little, ears flat.

Her ears laid back a little as well as she said, "I'm so sorry Dustpaw…I hadn't meant it….I just need to be alone a little bit, okay?" Her fur was starting to feel heavy and cold after being out in the now pouring and relentless rain as she stared down at the muddy ground intermingled with her father's now watery and wispy crimson red blood.

Dustpaw nodded at her meekly before retreating away from her, having already said his words of part for the deputy.

Once he was a good distance away from her, she turned to the body, whimpering and shaking softly…praying to StarClan that despite all the wounds, he had went painlessly.

The Clan was silent as they watched the proud and prized female apprentice of ThunderClan wailed over a loss member of her family, mourning over the risk of what came with being a warrior; dying in the lines of battle.

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Sandpaw sat emotionlessly as she watched the elders carry off her father's body for burial, the rain now successfully making her look like some sort of ragged, drowned animal at this point, but she really didn't care about looks right now. She was just loyally going to see her father off before he would be forever just a good memory.

She had long since accepted his death now and could do nothing more but hope the journey to StarClan had been an easy one for him. There was nothing to do but move on…

She was about to turn around to go back to apprentice den to finally get some rest, as it was now Silverpelt out now, but as she did, her eyes suddenly made contact with the new apprentice, aka the worthless kittypet, Firepaw, gazing at her with sympathetic emerald-green eyes in the distance.

She stared back, holding the gaze for a little while longer before suddenly, realization dawned on her and she quickly broke the gaze, self-disgust waving through her.

What was she doing willingly accepting the sympathy of a_ kittypet_ for? She was a true warrior apprentice for crying out loud! Feh. The nerve of that stupid kittypet…neither she nor her father needed any of his pathetic sympathy!

Turning around, she primly stalked towards her den, images of her father and all his bravery and how she would relive it for him flashing determinedly through her mind.

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**A/N: I don't like this one that much...too short and I don't even like Sandpaw/storm that much...but I had it finished and put it out simply because I wanted too. It's obvious I can't write sad stuff very well, but I'm trying. This story is based off on something I noticed in Warriors, no one except the mains and maybe some major side characters ever care when a member of their family is killed or died, which I found strange. So, I decided to change that and maybe even give Redtail, the forgotten deputy, a little bit of honor. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed.**

**Critique is wanted. **


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